The Other New Girl
by teamedward01
Summary: Frankie's new to Forks, but she's got a secret... do she and the Cullens have more in common than both parties could imagine?
1. HELLO, FORKS

Chapter One  
MEETING THE CULLENS

Forks High School appeared to be the same as any small, dingy school I'd seen back in England. The kids I saw loitering around outside wore baggy jeans and checked shirts, an entire world away from the fashion-conscious boys and girls of my hometown. Nobody was smoking, nobody was drunk, and the only vandalism I could see anywhere was a love heart carved into a nearby tree.

"Are you going to be OK?" my Mum frowned at the grey building ahead of us.

"I'll be fine," I smiled at her, reassuring. "I can sense it's going to be a good day,"

"Good," Mum patted me on the shoulder as I stepped from the car, "Have fun,"

"I will!" I called.

I listened intently for thoughts, and most of them appeared to be centred around me.

_'That new girl's hot.'_

I chuckled to myself.

'I wonder if she knows where she's going. I might, you know, pretend to bump into her or something…'

It took all my restrain to stop myself laughing out loud as I skipped into the reception area.

Mrs. Cope, the plaque in front of her read.

"Hello?" I asked.

_'What a pretty girl.'_

"Yes, dear, what can I do for you?" she asked.

"I'm new. Frankie. Frankie Spencer?" I paused. "I don't really know what I'm doing."

"I'm sure I can get you your timetable."

I looked around the room as she fetched my timetable. The walls were a sickly aquamarine colour and the carpets were grubby. I checked my reflection in the window of the door. Slim jeans, green polo shirt and my dirty Converse All Stars.

"There you go, Frankie," Mrs. Cope smiled at me warmly. "Good luck,"

I was late to my first class, Biology. I'd never taken Biology as an independent subject back in England, so I was absolutely dreading it.

I entered the classroom.

_'God, look at that girl.'_

I stared back at the class, unsure of whether I should look like a deer caught in headlights or a confident… thing.

There were a few nice-looking boys, and one very nice looking boy. I smiled, unsure.

"I'm Frankie. I'm new."

The teacher sighed.

"Sit over there."

My seat was beside a very average girl, with glasses and a crooked smile.

_'Look at the boys, they're salivating. It's ridiculous. She's not even that good-looking.'_

Suddenly, I didn't like my new bench buddy so much.

Biology passed, uneventfully, and I ignored the thoughts I could hear in my head throughout the day. I stood in the bathroom at lunchtime, and managed to elbow a poor girl in the face with some force.

"Oh my God! Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine,"

"Oh God. This is terrible…"

"It's my fault, really. I shouldn't have walked into your elbow."

"I'm such a klutz," I apologised, flapping my hands in vain.

"It's OK. Really," the girl assured me for the third time.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

There was an awkward silence.

"I'm Bella, by the way,"

"I'm Frankie."

"So I've heard," Bella smiled.

"Do you know which way the lunch hall is? I keep getting lost," I explained.

"Oh, sure, you can walk with me."

The lunch hall was cramped and noisy, much like the school canteen back in England. Bella turned to me at the door.

"Who are you going to sit with?"

"Oh." I felt deflated momentarily. "Nobody,"

I could hear her deliberating internally.

'_Should I sit with her? Would Rosalie kill me?'_

I didn't know who Rosalie was, but I was ready for her answer.

"Do you want to sit with me, and my friends?"

"I'd love to," I smiled at her.

We walked past rows of staring eyes up to a table filled with beautiful people. One of them, who I assumed to be Rosalie, stared daggers at me. The others eyed me warily.

"Guys, this is Frankie." Bella waved her hand at me, almost dropping her lunch tray.

"Frankie Spencer." I added. "Nice to meet you."

"This is Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward."

Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper ignored me. Alice and Edward simply stared.

_'Bella's got a human friend. That's nice. I wonder if she'll like me. I didn't see this coming.'_

Alice stared innocently at me. Human friend? What did that mean?

Edward was thinking too.

'_This is dangerous. Bella being here is dangerous enough, but another human?'_

That's odd, I thought.

_'That's odd.'_

Edward was thinking the same things as me.

_'Edward's thinking the same things as me…'_

Crap.

Could Edward read my thoughts?

I stared at him, but he appeared to have not been disturbed. I'd have to be careful around him. Close my mind off to him as I'd taught myself.

The moment I stopped allowing him to read my mind, Edward frowned at me. His frustration was clear on his perfect face.

_'First I can't read Bella's mind, and now this?'_

So Edward could read thoughts. And he couldn't read Bella's. How odd.

I took a seat beside Alice, who was staring happily at me as though waiting for me to say something.

"So… how was everyone's day?" I asked.

"Great," Alice replied.

"Has anyone tried to chips?"

"Chips?" Edward asked, amused.

"I mean, fries." I corrected myself, "Sorry. I can't help it. I asked for a jumper at a shop the other day and they looked at me like I was crazy,"

Emmett chuckled.

"So, are the fries good?"

"I haven't tried them." Bella replied.

"Have you guys?" I asked the others.

_'Oh, yeah, sure, of course the vampires eat fries'_. I heard Edward's thought loud and clear.

Vampires?

I tried not to show any reaction on my face.

"No, we don't bother with school food," Alice pulled a face, "It's not good,"

"Oh." I took a bite of my lasange. "Well. Never mind then."

_'Edward? Are you OK?'_

This was definitely weird. I was listening to a mental conversation between Alice and Edward.

_'I can't read this new girl's thoughts. There's something weird about her.'_

Edward shook his head from side to side, very slowly.

_'Do you think she knows we're…vampires?'_

Again, Edward shook his head.

"Wow, this lasange is good." I exclaimed. "You guys should try it."

"I'll pass." Edward spoke.

"I already ate." Alice bit her lip.

"I'm pretty hungry," Jasper stared straight ahead. Alice shot him a worrying glance.

Oh, right. Vampires drink blood, don't they?

There was a long pause, the only sound mine and Bella's knives scraping along the plates.

"Edward," I spoke. "I need to talk to you."

I tried to sound calm but my fork clattered as I dropped it onto the table.

'_Is this girl crazy?'_

"What?"

"In private. Now." I swallowed. "Please."

_'What's she up to?'_

The thoughts of the other people on the table drowned out my own as I stood up and led Edward away from the table.

"What?" Edward snapped once we'd reached the exit door.

"No. Not here." I looked back at the table we'd come from. "Somewhere private."

"Nobody can hear us." Edward raised one eyebrow.

_'Besides Emmett, Rosalie, Alice and Jasper, of course.'_

"Well, I'd be a lot more comfortable away from here." I led him out of the lunch hall into the corridor. "Is there a classroom anywhere around here?"

"Come with me."

I was being pulled along the corridors towards a Spanish classroom. Edward slammed the doors behind us.

"What now?"

"Edward." I grabbed Edward's shoulder, careful not to squeeze too hard. "I know what you can do."

_'What? Play it cool, Edward, play it cool.'_

"I know you can do, I know you're a vampire, and I'm one too,"


	2. NEWBORN

Chapter Two  
NEWBORN

"But…you have a heartbeart." Edward said, incredulous. "And you smell like a human."

He squinted at me.

"And your hands," Edward grabbed my wrists, "They're…"

"Lukewarm." I rolled my eyes, "I know, right? I just say it's bad circulation."

"Lukewarm." Edward frowned. "I thought there might be something a bit weird, you know, about you. But a vampire?"

"Hit me," I dared him, "Go on. I won't feel a single thing,"

Edward hit me, limply, on the arm. At least his hand felt limp. It was probably a punch that a normal human man could have given me.

"So you're a vampire," he said.

"Yes, I'm a vampire."

'_It makes sense. She's beautiful, too smart, I can't read her mind, she doesn't feel pain… but she breathes, and she eats, and she has a heartbeat. She blushes and falls into things. That can't be right.'_

"But how…?"

"We were living in England. I was the fastest runner at school, a real athlete. It was a dark night, and I was walking home from an athletic competition. It happened pretty quickly. I fell, and I felt a sharp pain in my wrist. I ran all the way home, I wasn't sure what happened. I was sick for three days straight, then when I'd changed I wanted to kill my family and run really fast. I did a lot of research, but I could only do it at night when my family was asleep. I got as far as the edges of Moscow, trying to find others like me." This time, it was my turn to frown. "I'm not like other vampires, though. I can eat without having to choke it back up. I can go without blood for months on end. I don't need it like you do, but I can have it if I want."

"I think you need to talk to Carlisle." Edward sighed.

'This is huge.'

"I know," I got up to leave.

"And you can read minds?"

"Yeah. It's kind of a gift. I can make my mind impenetrable too."

"So that's why I couldn't read yours." Edward marvelled.

"I taught myself."

"Can you teach me?"

"I hope so." I looked at the clock on the wall. Ten minutes until the end of lunch. "I'll have to tell Bella, I suppose. She'll wonder why I'm spending so much time with you."

"What's it to Bella?" Edward half-smiled.

"You guys are together,"

Edward paused for a moment.

"How did you know?"

"Bella doesn't stop thinking about you," I chuckled, "Surely you'd know that."

"You can read Bella's thoughts?"

He seemed angry.

"You can't?"

"No."

"Ah."

"I think maybe you should go home." Edward gripped the table so hard I thought he might break it.

"But it's my first day of school! And my family will wonder why I'm home…"

"Come to our house." Edward stared at me. "I assume you can run?"

"Faster than a speeding bullet." I grinned.

"You'd better get your running shoes on."

The Cullen's house was quaint, hidden in the woods that Forks were surrounded by. We arrived about five minutes after setting off from school, and Edward was surprisingly impressed by my speed.

"Nobody in this coven can keep up with me," Edward whistled as we made our way through the front door.

"Coven?"

"What, you don't have a coven?"

"Well, no. I told you. It's just me, and my family…"

"Your human family."

"Yes." I shrugged. "They don't know."

Edward laughed.

"What?" I demanded.

"You keep surprising me."

"Well." I frowned. "I suppose that's OK."

Their home from the inside was shockingly normal, a dining table all set out and a piano in one corner. I sat down at the little stool and began playing a melody I'd once heard. I'd always meant to get piano lessons, but in the end I just taught myself, sneaking into music shops at night and playing their grand pianos.

"That's lovely," I heard a female voice call to me.

_'Such a beautiful tune. Is it Edward?'_

"Thank you!" I called back.

"Esme, Carlisle," Edward shouted. There was no point in yelling, I knew, vampires could hear a pin drop from miles away.

Esme and Carlisle appeared, two beautiful people as I'd expected. They frowned.

_'Another human, Edward?'_

"No, Carlisle."

They looked even more confused.

"There's no point in trying to have a conversation like that. She can hear you,"

I nodded.

"She can hear thoughts?" Esme spoke, her voice soft and gentle.

"Yes." I smiled.

"No offence meant, Miss…"

"Spencer." I offered.

"Miss Spencer," Carlisle continued, unabashed. "But you are human,"

"Mr. Cullen," I smiled, "I am far from human,"

"But she has a heartbeat," Esme widened her eyes. "I can hear it,"

"So you can hear how faint it is," I said.

"I don't understand," Carlisle frowned. "But I'd love to."

We sat around the dining table. Esme fixed me a mug of hot chocolate and I told the tale of my transformation.

"It wasn't as painful as I'd heard," I took a sip of my hot chocolate unhappily. "And I still have a heartbeat, so something happened that shouldn't have."

"You're suggesting something went wrong in your transformation?" Carlisle mused.

"That's possible?" Esme asked.

"Yes," Edward said, "Very possible."

I caught Carlisle's thoughts.

"You have a theory?" I asked him.

"Yes." Carlisle said, "Although it needs investigating, might I suggest that perhaps you fell on a set of fangs."

"I thought that was already clear," Edward said. "Unless…"

"Unless they were merely a pair of fangs, almost drained of venom."

"Not enough venom to fully transform me, but enough to change me?" I asked.

"Yes." Esme sat back in her chair. "It makes sense."

_'So you resist the smell of blood better than vampires?'_

It took me a while to realise that Edward was thinking directly at me.

_'Yes, I suppose so,'_ I thought back.

That was cool. Edward and I had our own language.

_'What I wouldn't give to swap places with you.'_

I stared at the table, and pity washed over me. Poor Edward.

_'Thinking about Bella again?'_

Edward's sigh answered my question.

"So what do you suggest I do?" I asked Carlisle. "Carry on as normal?"

"Yes. There doesn't seem much else you can do." Carlisle replied. "You never told us. When were you transformed?"

"Two months ago."

Edward's jaw dropped open.

"Two. Months?"

Carlisle and Esme looked alarmed.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You're a newborn," Edward stared at me incredulously.

"It's been two whole months," I laughed.

"It takes three years to get used to being a vampire," Carlisle exhaled noisily.

"What?"

"Maybe you should stick with us," Carlisle frowned, "Until we know you're not dangerous,"

"I'm really not dangerous, guys." I slammed my mug down. "Really."

I watched Edward smirk, and looked to see what he was smiling at.

Of course. I'd slammed my mug down so hard that my hot chocolate had splashed all over the table, and my mug had shattered into pieces.

"Really?" Carlisle smiled.


	3. FRANKIE GOES TO BERLIN

Chapter Three

EXPLORING FORKS

My second day at school was mostly a surreal blur. Most of the time I satisfied myself by learning (although now I was a vampire, it appeared I only had to look at a page for half a second and I'd read all of it, and I spent most of the time drumming my fingers on the desk), or spoke to Edward in my head. He gave me the answers to quizzes and sarcastic comments, and I tried not to chuckle out loud.

_'You're making me laugh, they all think I'm crazy,'_ I thought.

I tried to concentrate on my Math test.

_'Maybe you are,'_ Edward thought, '_You're hearing vampires in your head,'_

_'You're one annoying vampire to have in my head,'_

'_So block me,'_ Edward dared, knowing I'd go crazy with boredom if I did.

I sat with the Cullens at lunch, despite a couple of requests to go and sit with Bella's other friends… Jessica Stanley and a girl called Angela Weber. I declined, though. I was mostly put off by Jessica's petty mind and the way she seemed to repeat the words, 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer' to herself.

_'Mike won't stop thinking about her. It's starting to annoy me. Thinks she's too good for us? Stupid English brat…'_

Well, I certainly didn't want to sit next to her, then.

That day, I'd worn a floral dress and some gorgeous t-bar sandals I'd bought in Camden Market back in England. It looked a bit out of place, a bit too glamorous, for Forks. I stared at the ill-fitting faded jeans and bomber jackets of the other girls, their hair straggly and frizzy from the weather, and felt quite pleased. I'd managed to bag one of the perks of being almost undead, the perpetual beauty.

I heard Rosalie grumbling to herself.

_'Thinks she's so great… stupid little…'_

"Frankie?" Alice leaned across to me.

"What?" I stared at her innocently.

"Uhm. No offence, but…" she chewed her lip. "You dress kind of funny,"

I laughed loudly, causing hundreds of eyes to stare at me.

"It's the English in me," I said proudly. "What can I say? We dress cool,"

_'Cool's not exactly the right word,' _Rosalie snapped.

I felt Jasper calming her down. It was relaxing, as though I was on air.

"Wow, Jasper," I laughed, "Calm it down, will you?"

"Oh." Jasper looked down at the table. "Sorry."

I shovelled another forkful of slop into my mouth, some odd American special I'd never tried before. It tasted disgusting, and looked over at Bella's seat.

"Where are the lovebirds?" I asked.

"Not a clue. They disappeared after Spanish class," Emmett shrugged, catching his elbow on the table and sending my dinner flying.

"Oh, well done, Emmett, smooth move," Rosalie rolled her eyes at him.

"It's OK. I didn't like it anyway," I shrugged. "Who's doing what after school?"

I stopped myself, feeling a bit idiotic. Of course they weren't doing anything. What was there to do in Forks?

That's the point where I decided I'd explore.

* * *

OK. So when I said explore, I don't think I meant this.

I was stood in the middle of a busy city, attempting to work out precisely where I was. Was it Japan? Or Sweden, or something? The odd markings above the shops weren't giving me any clues.

I'd gone for a run, that was all. Exploring Forks. I thought I was heading towards Seattle, or maybe Port Angeles. Then when I hit the sea, I thought I'd go for a swim. I must have been swimming for hours, I realised. My mother would kill me.

Suddenly something caught my eye. English? English! Fantastic!

The sign clearly stated that I was in the middle of a dingy part of Berlin.

Berlin?

I'd made it to Berlin?

Suddenly the strong German words sounded clearer. Of course it was Berlin. Just look at all the hustle and bustle around me. Look at all the people, talking to one another in German and French and Mandarin and English and –

"Alright, darling?" a hand on my shoulder. Not a scent I instinctively knew.

I span around to stare a grubby man full in the face. His teeth were crooked, his eyes half-shut and reddened. He was slurring his words and clutching a bottle to him like it was his only posession in the world.

Judging by his appearance, it probably was.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"You're a pretty girl, aren't you?" he touched my chin like a friendly uncle, "What's your name, then, pretty girl?"

"Frankie," I smiled sweetly.

"Aw, that's nice," the drunk man guffawed.

"Isn't it just."

"Frankie, you got anywhere to stay tonight, darling?" the drunk man smiled, "I could show you where I sleep,"

"No thanks," I smiled again.

I felt another hand on my shoulder, this one ice-cold.

_'What the hell do you think you're doing?'_

Edward.

"Alright, Edward?"

"This one's called Edward, is he?" the drunk man smiled at him.

Edward gave the man a cold stare.

"Yes. I am."

"This is my good friend, Edward." I introduced them.

"Bert, at your service, mate," Bert extended his hand.

"So how did you get to Berlin, Frankie?" Edward raised one eyebrow, a barely concealed smirk on his beautiful face.

"Well, I went for a swim," I stared at the floor. "And that's about it."

"Shall we go home?"

"Might as well," I smiled.

It felt natural, the way Edward put his arm around me instinctively, and protectively. I didn't think there would be any consequence or meaning to the gesture.

How wrong I was.


	4. SHE'S A REAL VAMPIRE NOW

Chapter Four

SHE'S A REAL VAMPIRE NOW

My phone was vibrating in my pocket, and I winced at the drilling noise it made. Bella seemed undisturbed, and I remembered she didn't have my heightened sense of hearing.

She was driving at 30mph, and I could just imagine Edward's frustration at the low speed. I could almost hear his bored voice, see his eyebrow raised in amusement, his crooked smile as he smirked at her cautious driving.

"Penny for them," Bella broke our companionable silence.

I made an unintelligable noise as I reached to check my phone inbox.

"Penny for your thoughts," Bella said again.

My text was from my sister, asking where her belt was.

"Oh. I was just thinking about the Cullens," I replied truthfully.

"Oh." Bella gripped her steering wheel a little tighter.

_'Should I tell her about them? It's dangerous for her to hang around with vampires and not know, even if it is the Cullens.'_

"How about you?" I asked, not really concentrating.

"Well," Bella started, "I'm not very interesting,"

"Oh, surprise me,"

_'Surprise her?'_ I could hear Bella thinking. _'This will surprise her, alright,'_

"You know the Cullens?"

"Yeah."

"This might sound a little crazy," Bella pressed on, the hesitation in her voice.

I could hear her deliberating and hesitating.

"Yes…?"

"The Cullens are vampires," Bella chewed her lip, glancing at me, then fixing her gaze firmly back on the road.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

There was a long, awkward pause in which Bella glanced at me, then the road.

"You don't seem very surprised," she said unhappily.

"I am." I assured her, "I'm in shock."

I hoped she couldn't tell that I was lying through my teeth.

We stayed in silence throughout the long journey to Port Angeles.

We parked beneath a street lamp outside the rustic restaurant. It looked quite fancy, but I wasn't too bothered.

"Right, so, you know that I don't know Port Angeles very well," Bella said, locking up her old truck.

"Yeah," I said, "But _I _know it even less,"

"Which is why we're just going to eat, then go home, right?" Bella bit her thumb.

"Yes. It'll be great," I promised.

Bella wasn't the kind of person to shop all day and party all night. If you didn't know her, you'd think she was quiet, or even simple, but luckily I could see through that.

The restaurant was very warm and welcoming, and the waiter gave us a dazzling smile as he showed us our seats.

_'If the redhead were a little younger...' _I could hear him think about me, and for once I didn't mind his vulgar fantasies. I was happy.

"He was almost as pretty as Edward," I joked, instantly feeling Bella's raw jealousy.

We ordered, and talked about mundane things… the weather, our health, the people at school, and the surrounding area. I mentioned the big dance and Bella's cheeks reddened quickly. It surprised me how the rush of blood to her cheeks made me so thirsty, and for the first time in two months I felt like a real vampire, rather than just a girl.

Once I ate, my thirst lessened greatly, and I chatted to a few gentlemen on the table next to ours. They bought us champagne, although Bella only sipped at it carefully.

"Not one for the alcohol, Bella?" I asked.

"I've never tasted champagne before," Bella replied.

Of course. They couldn't drink until 21 in the States.

"Well, back at my old school people came to school drunk," I laughed at the memory, "Get that down your neck, lass!"

Bella looked uncomfortable, then gulped down the champagne and giggled.

The more drunk I got, the thirstier I felt, until eventually I knew I had to stop drinking. Bella, on the other hand, did not.

The point came when I decided I had to take Bella home. She was breathing heavily, switching between being hyperactive and sleepy, and she'd downed four glasses of champagne.

_'What have you done to her?' _I heard Edward's voice in my head, but I blocked him out and closed my mind off to him. I needed all my concentration to keep my lips clamped, to stop myself from biting Bella's neck as I lifted her up and carried her out of the restaurant, careful to leave a big tip for our gorgeous waiter.

I thanked the gentleman for their bottle of champagne and had to carry Bella from the room, holding my breath so I didn't breathe in the smell of her sweet blood. She was easy to carry, fairly light for a human, and I smiled at her limp wrists around my shoulder. I could snap them with a click of my fingers, I thought, and I almost let curiosity get the better of me.

I drove her home, praying I didn't crash, and Bella slept soundly. I chuckled at the thought of her hangover tomorrow morning. Her father would probably kill her, if he ever found out.

I ran the rest of the way home, dropping her truck off at Charlie's and putting Bella on her bed. I only stopped when I passed the lane to the Cullen household, admiring the beautiful woodland, and thinking only of Edward, and how lucky Bella was.


	5. A CHOICE

Chapter Five

A CHOICE

**Edward's Point of View**

It saddened me to think of how little I paid attention to Bella when Frankie was around. That's why I didn't sit with my family at lunch. I didn't want Frankie to hear my thoughts of her, to hear me thinking that perhaps Frankie might feel the same way.

When she let her barrier down, I could glimpse Frankie's true feelings, and hope that there might be a space in her life for me. I supposed she barely thought of me. Wasn't she, after all, only sat with us because she was instructed to do so? Wasn't the only reason she spoke to us all in the first place because she was Bella's friend?

Bella. I never thought I could ever possibly love anyone as much as I loved Bella. The love for her had never lessened, but now I had found a greater love in Frankie, and she didn't even return it like I knew Bella did.

That's how I ended up sitting in my car at lunchtimes, watching the pupils go in and out of the school, scuttling about, worried only about their lives and their friends, never having to think for a minute about true love.

I'm alone for hundreds of years, and suddenly two girls have arrived that I adore?

It's wrong for a monster like myself to even have a choice between two amazing young women like Bella and Frankie. They should go for people like Mike, people of their own kind. Even Frankie, the part-vampire, could still blush and sleep and eat like the others. She could rush into school and tell everyone about her dreams if she wanted to, because she could dream. And I could not.

The melody I was playing on the piano had turned into a depressing mash of angry chords without my realising it. I stopped playing and sat back on my piano stool, still thinking.

Would Frankie be awake?

Would she be thinking of me?

I knew she could go without sleep, she'd told me as much. Sleep to her was like breathing to me; just a habit, something she liked doing to pass the time.

I could go and see her. Just for a bit.

Even if she was asleep, I could sit beside her and watch her dreaming. Read her mind and for the first time in years, I could dream too.

Surely that would be a breach of privacy, something perverted. To watch someone else's dreams would be like reading someone else's diary.

Still, you could say the same about reading minds, couldn't you?

I began to play a lullaby I'd composed for Bella. It was sweet, but somehow it just didn't work for Frankie. It didn't even begin to explain Frankie, how complicated my feelings for her were.

I tried out a few complex melodies, and I could hear Esme's delight as she listened to the piano.

_What's wrong, Edward?_

I could see why she was concerned. The melodies were jarring, like my feelings. It was as if my left hand was Frankie and my right hand was Bella, and instead of going in harmony, they were arguing.

Perhaps I would go and see Bella, and watch her dream, even though I could never read her mind. She was still beautiful to me, her odd face and her enormous brown eyes.

Of course, she would be asleep, and her eyes would be closed.

But Frankie.

Frankie might be awake.

I was filled with possibility, and excitement at the prospect of seeing Frankie again. She was like my oxygen, and I needed her just to live. I remembered, sadly, how Bella made me feel like that. Now I took her for granted.

Frankie was awake. I could hear her thoughts a mile away. She wasn't thinking of me. She was thinking of Bella.

Of course she was thinking of Bella, her best friend since moving to Forks. Of course she was thinking about others, selflessly. That was what I had admired about Bella, her selflessness unlike any other human's. Now I was obsessing over Frankie. I felt disgusted with myself as I clambered through her window, and watched her brush her hair in her mirror.

From where I crouched in the window pane, she was perfect. Every inch of her. Her hair was copper-coloured, not quite flame-red but almost. Her eyes were enormous and blue, her lips curled up in a constant careless smile. I smiled too.

**Frankie's Point of View**

I could feel something moving, but I ignored it. Possibly a cat outside, or the wind shifting a few leaves outside my window. Nothing to worry about.

I carried on brushing my hair, thinking about Edward and Bella. Poor Bella. I bet the vampires never even touched her or hugged her. The girl who was loved so much never saw any of it.

Suddenly, I felt ice-cold hands slip around my waist.

"Boo," Edward whispered in my ear.

I would have jumped, but I was almost expecting it. Still, I jumped off of my stool, concealing my pleasure that he'd wrapped his arms around my waist. Mine.

"Edward!" I hissed. "What're you doing here?"

I saw him deliberate, unsure of what to tell me, even though he knew I could read his mind.

_I__ needed to watch you sleep? What kind of answer is that? Can't you remembered when that's why you sat in Bella's room night after night, Edward? Think. I needed a friend. A conversation. No. Too pathetic._

"I think I need those lessons in how to close off my mind," Edward gave his crooked grin, bedazzling me in the moonlight.

"Oh," I said, "Well, OK. But keep your voice down, you'll wake my family,"

"Right," Edward grinned, "Your human family,"

_Say something clever, Edward. I heard him think to himself, Look at her. She's amazing. Fight for her, Edward. Fight for her._

"I don't really know where to start," I began, distracted by his flattering thoughts.

_You've got Bella already, Edward. You shouldn't be here, you know that. Even if she is even more perfect than Bella, already part-vampire and unbreakable…_

"Well, start where you started," Edward flopped onto my bed.

"I started by thinking of…nothing," I sat beside him. "Close your eyes and think of nothing, Edward,"

"Alright," Edward closed his eyes, smirking to himself.

_Go back to Bella, Edward. What will the others say? Will Alice tell her? What would happen if she did? What would I do without Bella?_

"You're not doing it right, Edward!" I said, exasperated by his blatant guilt, "I said think of nothing!"

This time, Edward concentrated, and I couldn't read his mind, because he wasn't thinking of anything.

"OK." I said. "Now you do that, but… like… think at the same time,"

Edward shot me a look that told me I wasn't making any sense, but then he smiled.

"I think I get it," he closed his eyes, "Try and read me now,"

I couldn't.

"Close your eyes, and try really, really hard to read my mind," he instructed me.

"Edward, I don't think that's really –"

"Just do it. For me?"

I closed my eyes obediently, and listened intently.

"I don't hear any -"

That's when I felt Edward's lips touch mine.


	6. MAYBE

Chapter Six

MAYBE

**Edward's Point of View**

It was a lapse. I couldn't stop myself. Her whole body just looked entirely kissable, and I fell for it.

I prayed Alice hadn't seen this coming. I hoped Jasper didn't feel my guilt when I'd gotten back home. Above all, I hoped that Frankie didn't tell Bella.

Why would she tell Bella? She'd been in the wrong too, surely? Being so irresistible. So wonderfully amazing. Perhaps I could blame it on her?

"I'm sorry," Frankie's eyes snapped open, as if it was entirely her fault.

"What?"

"I'm sorry," Frankie stared into my eyes and at once I knew what she meant. She was sorry for the consequences.

"What the hell do we do now?" she whispered.

"I don't know," I said. "I don't know."

We sat in silence, as if deciding upon a course of action to take, when Frankie looked up.

"Well," she sighed, "We're screwed either way."

"I know," I realised miserably. Whatever we did, I was doomed for misery.

I caught myself. I was doomed for misery? What about poor Bella? Perhaps I should stop being so selfish and start being selfless, a courtesy that both Frankie and Bella extended to me which I never once returned. Poor Frankie as well. I could safely say that both girls were hooked on me, and I was hooked on both of them.

"I should go," I said, and before Frankie could object I'd jumped out of her window and sprinted back to my house, not looking back.

**Frankie's Point of View**

I felt terrible.

It was the morning after Edward's visit, and I was dreading facing Bella at school. I could just see her bright, innocent face, I could hear her questions. Angela and Jessica had always thought she never spoke. Even Alice and Edward thought she was quiet. It appeared she just loaded all of her thoughts onto me willingly, talking about anything and everything. She trusted me, and it hurt me to have betrayed her trust.

In fact, I decided to fake sick. My naturally cold temperature helped mildly, and my mother propped me up in bed with a bowl to throw up in and six hot water bottles. Then everyone went out to work.

I admit, I listened in on thoughts. There appeared to be no limit to my power, and I was greedy for information.

_Does Bella think she can just sit with us whenever her pretty boyfriend decides not to talk to her? Because she can't. _Jessica Stanley's voice filled my head, piercing and petty.

_I'm worried.._ Alice's voice.

Edward had closed off his mind. Damn my stupid lessons last night.

My stupid, stupid lessons.

It's like he's avoiding me. Bella was worrying. From her mind I could see she wasn't sat with the Cullens, and neither was Edward. He was gone, and Bella was sat with Jessica and Mike and friends. Weird.

That's when I started trying, really trying, to listen to Edward's thoughts. I stretched out further and further, listening absorbedly.

_Bella…_

It was like someone was tuning a radio, but I was only hearing snippets of the conversation.

_Bella…_

He was running. I didn't know where, but he was running, and fast. A foreign country. He was keeping to the shadows. A sunny country, then?

It was all quite blurry, as though I was peering through fogged glass. I couldn't make out the details. All I could tell was that he was running.

Anger boiled inside me. How dare he run? I hadn't. He was being a coward, running from a decision he couldn't bring himself to make.

Who would he choose? The vampire or the human?

**Bella's Point of View**

My cheeks were scarlet as I silently spooned food into my mouth. I could tell the other people on my table were thinking about me, internally asking why I wasn't sat with my new friends.

The truth is, I didn't think it would be a good idea to hang around with them without Edward. I saw Jasper's eyes, blackened by thirst, and Rosalie's snooty expression. I don't think I could deal with it when I did have Edward's crooked smile to reassure me.

It didn't help that Frankie was off sick, either. Usually we conversed about nothing in particular. It made me feel better than she wasn't special like the others. We could talk human, about human things, and it would be fine.

I'd been surprised when the other members of the group allowed her to sit with us so readily. Perhaps they sensed some freaky vibes off of her. Vampire sense. I didn't know. However, I was happy that they accepted her. It meant I had someone I could actually talk to, and they wouldn't rush home and tell everything else. She was human. She had a human's reaction. Everything was fine.

It was fine, wasn't it?

**Edward's Point of View**

The truth is, I didn't know what to do with myself.

All I could think of was running. Perhaps starting a relationship with Tanya, and letting both Frankie and Bella down. That was the only way I could think of being fair, and yet it all seemed incredibly unfair.

It struck me, even though I didn't want it to.

I had to choose.

Between Bella and Frankie.

That's when I turned on my heel and began running back to Forks.

**Frankie's Point of View**

The thought hit me.

Maybe he'd choose me.

Maybe he'd choose me, and let Bella think that he would never change her.

Maybe he would make her go to University, and then we could be together.

That could work, couldn't it?


	7. TO COMPLICATE IT FURTHER

Chapter Seven

TO COMPLICATE IT FURTHER

**Bella's Point of View**

I clambered into my dusty red truck and the engine roared into life. Nobody around the truck moved; it appeared that the people of Forks were finally used to my noisy mode of transportation.  
As I pulled out of the school parking lot, a thought struck me. I hadn't seen Jacob in a while, and since I didn't 'stink' of vampires (having not hung out with them for so long), I thought I might go and see him.

He was quite surprised to see me, I think. He was wearing a sloppy jumper, covered in oil stains, probably from working on some kind of engine. His hair was tied back. I smiled at him as I pulled up outside his house.

"Hey, Bells!" he called out to me as I slammed the truck door shut.

"Hey, Jake," I smiled back.

"Want something to eat?"

"No, but I'm sure you do," I replied.

We made our way into the kitchen, and Jacob immediately began making an enormous sandwich to feed his werewolf appetite.

"So what brings you to La Push?"

"Well, I hadn't seen you in a while, so I thought I might drop by."

Jacob grinned.

"You don't smell like leeches anymore," he commented.

Leeches. His word for vampires.

"No, I don't. I didn't sit with the Cullens today,"

Jacob raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really."

"And that would be because…"

"Edward wasn't there today."

"What about your new friend, then, Fiona or something?"

"Frankie. She wasn't there either."

"Ouch," Jacob took a bite from his sandwich. There was a pause, "So is there, like, trouble with you and Edward or something?"

"No," I replied uncertainly. "Of course not,"

"Bella."

Suddenly, I wanted to tell him everything. How I felt that Edward was acting oddly, how Frankie had changed him. How I couldn't speak to the Cullens anymore without Edward being there. How life had suddenly gone weird.

"He's just acting a bit strangely recently. Skipping school when its not sunny. He's not hunting. I don't get it. He's just gotten weird since Frankie arrived, and I don't get it, the others love her -"

"So what do you think is going on?"

I broke eye contact with him.

"I don't know." I mumbled, staring at my feet.

Jacob was silent for a moment.

"Bella -"

"You know what? I think I know what you're going to say," I said, still staring at the floor.

"Bella, look at me," Jacob lifted my chin so I gave him eye contact, and kissed me.

And for once, I honestly didn't mind.

**Frankie's Point of View**

My head snapped up. I think I felt it before she did. I heard it in his thoughts, and then hers.

Who was this Jacob boy? What did Bella think she was doing with him?

**Bella's Point of View**

My arms quickly slithered around Jacob's neck. I could feel his strong heartbeat quickening. It was wrong. What we were doing was so, so wrong.

I let go. I pulled away from him, tears blurring my vision. My hands automatically snatched up my car keys and my legs carried me away. I drove and drove, and kept driving.

The worst part of it was that I'd liked it. I didn't want to stop. I preferred Jacob to Edward, in the three minutes I'd spent with him.

What was I going to do?


End file.
